Weekend Open Thread, Henry Edition 7/19/08-7/20/08Submitted by LynnS on Sat, 07/19/2008 - 12:26pm.
This is Henry:  Henry is a 7-month-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel currently in need of a bath, but that's tomorrow's task. Today Henry is getting to know us and the house, having been given to us by my mother-in-law. Young dogs in general and Cavaliers in particular need lots and lots of attention, and they weren't home enough. We, on the other hand, are always here. Henry is lying at my feet as I type, and I am sincerely glad to no longer be dogless after 18 months. How's your weekend? ( topics: General Media )
Does anyone out there know the "winners" of the two joke contest categories given at the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association banquet last night? Categories 27 & 28 (missing from the official results) are "Best Blunder" and "Worst Taste," according to sources. But I don't know who won them, and it's killing me! :-) Any help? 1. Why is Brian Wood anchoring the 11:00pm on KATU solo? Is he covering for vacations or this is permanent? 2. Why was the first "reporter" story the Gorge Games and not the car into a house or the kids falling out windows? So I was on the Amtrak train that hit and killed the 15-year-old today in Centralia. As we pull into Seattle, there are a line of TV cameras sitting waiting at the station. I had half a mind to go and get interviewed and make something up. "I felt a thud! You could hear the boy screaming!" What the hell. What could a passenger on this train possibly add to this story? Even if someone on board did "see something," which I highly doubt, do we really want to put them on TV to share the horror with everyone? I don't know. Maybe I'm just cranky tonight. But I think if I were writing this story for print, the train station would be the last place I'd go unless I was damn sure the passengers on board had something to tell me. My thoughts are with the lad's family. (I'm kind of curious how often this happens though. My in-laws took a train from Albuquerque to PDX in December, and they hit and killed someone in Gallup. This doesn't seem too likely that this has happened twice, unless it's a frequent thing?) You wouldn't go to the train station? So you wouldn't want any video of the train that hit the boy? Yep, you're print alright. As for passengers, maybe you didn't have anything to say, but you never know. Believe it or not, some people can be quite profound when faced with a death that they were a part of.. (far removed as it was.) As I say, you never know. And you'd really never know if you never tried. The cameras were there to get a picture of the train? I don't know..I never saw any passenger interviews. The coverage was as dry as anything in a dead-tree edition. It's sure easy to "sneer" at TV people who are doing what they're assigned to do. Glad I'm not in that line of work--I have a low tolerance for snotty people. But you're no reporter. Asking questions when you're not entirely welcome is a part of the gig. Or maybe, since you were there, you filed--and we just haven't seen, yet--a sensitive and insightful piece on what it's like being stranded on a train that hit and killed a kid. How was the delay explained? How did the passengers act?--impatient, horrified? Were there prayer circles? Or did they act all cranky at the inconvenience? Besides that, wouldn't you rather see reporters snooping around the train and the crew, than descending on the kid's family? A boy gets killed...reporters come and do their job...and so you sneer at them, because you were delayed and you're cranky. You're no reporter. Sounds like you're in management. I am curious that no one has posted anything about the announcement made at the duopoly on Friday? Kieran Clarke is out as GM as of Jan 1? Come on KPTVers....I know you have some thoughts on this... By the by, if you haven't seen Dr Horrible yet, today's your last chance to see it for free before it comes down. I just paid for it outright because I know if it's Joss Whedon, it's Whedony delicious. (And I was right.) Plus also I want him and people like him to make more direct-to-web things and bypass the networks entirely. ----- It's awesome.I hear there are rumors of more episodes to come. Also talk of an album of songs being released. Joss confirmed at ComiCon this weekend that there would be a Dr Horrible 2.0. I'm waiting for the DVD with the musical commentary track. Yes, they're writing the commentaries as songs. ----- It was announced at a meeting Friday morning: 1. Kieran Clarke is headed to New York to run Meredith Video Solutions by the end of the year. None of this was a surprise to anyone at KPTV. Employess in news were told Friday that we will follow the change in Nielsen's rating period in March. So no vacations from March 5th to early April as we observe the book. Woohoo! For the first time ever we can take a week off in February next winter. anyone in mind of who will take over Patrick's job? Would they promote someone in house? They'd better hope nobody dies when Hurricane Dolly comes ashore tomorrow. Who would write this? _ Portland Residents Prepare for Dolly to Hit Who: Dolly Parton When: Thu, Aug 7 ● 8p Where: Rose Garden – Theater of the Clouds Tickets: Tickets are priced at $79.50, $59.50 and $39.50. Tickets on sale now and can be purchased at the Rose Quarter Box Office (M-F 10a-5p), all participating Safeway/ Tickets West outlets, by calling 877.789.ROSE (7673), or at ComcastTIX.com. For more information please visit RoseQuarter.com. Prices do not include service charges. To receive event notices, pre-sale opportunities, discounts and prizes join our free Rose Quarter CyberClub at RoseQuarter.com. What: Dolly gains momentum as her “Backwoods Barbie” Tour prepares to kick off in San Diego, CA on August 1. Dolly was upgraded from a backwoods girl to a full-blown diva, sustaining hits such as 9 to 5, Jolene and Jesus & Gravity. Her tour buses will reach speeds of 75 mph as they head north on I-5 and make their way to the Portland area. The legendary superstar Dolly Parton, brings her “Backwoods Barbie” Tour to the Theater of the Clouds Thu, Aug 7. This is the first time in 4 years Dolly Parton will be back to the Rose Quarter. “I’ve always been a writer. My songs are the door to every dream I’ve ever had and every success I’ve ever achieved,” says Dolly Parton of her incredible career, which has spanned nearly five decades and is showing no signs of slowing down. An internationally renowned superstar, the iconic and irrepressible Parton has contributed countless treasures to the world of music entertainment, penning classic songs such as “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors,” and her mega-hit “I Will Always Love You.” With 1977’s crossover hit “Here You Come Again,” she successfully erased the line between country and pop music without noticeably altering either her music or her image. “I’m not leaving country,” she said at the time, “I’m just taking it with me.” Making her film debut in the 1980 hit comedy 9 to 5, Dolly earned rave reviews for her performance and an Oscar nomination for writing the title tune, along with her second and third Grammy Awards. Roles in Steel Magnolias, Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Rhinestone, and Straight Talk followed, along with two network television series, made for television movies, network and HBO specials, and guest-starring roles in series television. In 2006, Dolly earned her second Oscar nomination for “Travelin’ Thru,” which she wrote for the film Transamerica. Dolly Parton is the most honored female country performer of all time. Achieving 25 RIAA certified gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards, she has had 25 songs reach number 1 on the Billboard Country charts, a record for a female artist. She has 41 career top 10 country albums, a record for any artist, and she has 110 career charted singles over the past 40 years. All-inclusive sales of singles, albums, hits collections, paid digital downloads and compilation usage during her Hall of Fame career have reportedly topped a staggering 100 million records world-wide. She has garnered 7 Grammy Awards, 10 Country Music Association Awards, 5 Academy of Country Music Awards, 3 American Music Awards and is one of only five female artists to win the Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year Award. Always dreaming and always looking forward, Dolly is busier than ever. Writing the music and lyrics for the upcoming Broadway musical version of 9-5, working on various children’s projects, and writing and recording a new album, Backwoods Barbie, which released in February 2008; these projects are just a few of her many interests at the moment. The phenomenon of Dolly Parton continues to flourish, as she remains one of world’s true superstars. Rose Quarter About AEG Facilities Media: All interested media that would like to inquire about interviews, attend and review, photograph and/or videotape this event should contact Erin Schumacher at 503.963.3848 or Erin.Schumacher@rosequarter.com. and I think it's amusing; lighten up. Really, it would be in poor taste if it was a major hurricane that was killing lots of people, but Dolly ain't no Katrina. Category 2 -- not big enough for you? Anyone see the new anti-merkley ad on TV? It features a clip from one of KGW's debates and KGW's logo is very prominent in the ad. KEZI is at it again, this time hiring a new "Rick" for their male anchor slot. A friend of mine at the station sent this to me, confirming it was their guy. http://www.actorspages.org/RickDouglas/photos.php?page=photos I guess they've hired a model? Either way, his co-anchor is about 50 years younger than he is. She's Brandi Smith, late of KOIN (producing) and KIVI (reporting). WELL DONE! Pssst! Remember, with age comes wisdom. why is it folks don't care if their local TV folk are smart, as long as they're young and pretty? You're supposed to be watching for the news! Someone, another anonymous "someone," posted this revealing bit of sagaciousness in regards to another News Anchor appointment in the PDX market: "Not to mention his NINE Emmys for local broadcast excellence, an Edward R. Murrow Award and an Iris award." Given the state of television news, especially within the past ten years, the heaviest lifting one must do to win a local Emmy is to be smart enough to fill out the entry forms. The broadcast business is undoubtedly the most self-congratulatory metier’ ever to make a profit (well, they used to). The idea that there are things like Emmys, Irises and Eddy Murrows demonstrates the point. While most businesses are satisfied with making the most sales, broadcasting is not happy until it pats itself on the back during each Award Season. Imagine that - there is even a self-created span of time known in the trade as "the Award Season." Not to take anything away from Rick. He is, afterall, "not just a model." He can't "help his good genes." Heaven forbid, if we could do that, we'd all look like Shauna Parsons over at FOX-12 (fair and balanced) If you Google the KPTV-12 website and click on the tab "Personalities", you are immediately rushed to a lengthy page featuring all the on-air talent owned and operated y FOX-12 (fair and balanced) As one would expect, there is a line-up of talented suspects stacked vertically, each smiling brilliantly. Each is accompanied by a brief description of their length of employment and area of expertise. (When one is fair and balanced, expertise is crucial) But look again – more carefully this time. Pay careful attention to what is termed “the beauty quotient.” This nomenclature refers to the attractiveness possessed by individuals associated with the television News business, as judged by unknown management types. Scroll down the page. See if you discern the pattern. Specifically, at the top of the page we find Shauna Parsons with this heavy-hitting bio - “Shauna moved to Portland after starting her career in Salt Lake City. She's a weeknight anchor for FOX 12 Oregon.” This curriculum vitae is enough to instill confidence in her News gravitas. But that’s not the point. Look at Shauna again. There is no doubt that, in a fair and balanced way, she is a most attractive woman, pleasant to gaze upon and desirable in that All-American Beauty kind of way. As John Keats once noted: 'Beauty is truth, truth beauty,' - that is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know. Now, continue scrolling down the page. The biographical sketches are equally revealing and engender assuredness in even the most skeptical. Again, in a fair and balanced operation like FOX-12, the acumen of the individual members of the editorial staff is not in question. But look at the last “talent” on the web page. Here we find Joe Vithayahil and Mark Ross - perhaps two of the least comely News personalities one might ever lay eyes on. This is not to disparage the two gentlemen. No doubt they are earnest reporters caught up in the TV racket for reasons one can only guess at. Their editorial qualifications are not the point. Look at the “beauty factor.” The two most-lowly occupants of the FOX-12 (fair and balanced) personality page are, to put it bluntly, attractiveness-challenged. Beauty is, I understand, in the eye of the beholder and I feel certain that Messers Vithayahil and Ross are deemed to be drop dead gorgeous by their wives and/or their domestic partners. In a fair and balanced world, their personal lifestyles should be no one’s concern. All that said, they still reside at the bottom of the FOX-12 Beauty Pageant. They were placed there ignominiously by someone within the FOX-12 organization. This someone made a decision based on appearances. The self-perpetuating, self-congratulatory TV-machine grinds up and spits out those less handsome, a sad but true commentary on the business so many rely upon. Might be time for some BOTOX. Again, in a fair and balanced operation like FOX-12,
I don't care what you think about the beauties at Fox 12, but what baffles me is that you persistenly throw out "fair and balanced" continuously. KPTV is Meredith Corp owned, not operated at all by New Corp or Fox News Channel. They share video and roll shows like American Idol. That's it. I am assuming that Joe Vithayathil is on the bottom of that list because he is the newest person on that reporter list. Same goes for Mark Ross on the sports side. If you're going to rip on them, you could at least spell their names correctly (Vithayathil has another "t"). I don't know Mr. Ross, but I do know Joe V., and he is not "comely" as you say. goes a bit over the top, along with your whole post. OK folks, how many times do we need to say this, FOX 12 is not owned by Rupert and News Corp. So they are a totally different entity. The people who own them are Meredith Corporation. This corporation owns a whole lot of magazines, including Better Homes and Garden and Ladies Home Journal. As for the supposed "beauty" factor to KPTV's layout. You obviously didn't see that they have it broken up into different sections. You have Anchors, Anchors/Reporters, Reporters, FOX 12 Weather Team, FOX 12 Traffic, and finally FOX 12 Sports. Could it really be that Mark Ross is last because Sports was put last? Hmm. Maybe Joe V was put last in reporters because he doesn't do General Assignment? My other question to you is, what you got against FOX 12? I mean it's obvious that you do, since you decided to break down their on air staff looks, and didn't bother to break down any other stations on air talent. I mean why just stop at one station? Now if you were trying to compliment the great on air people of FOX 12 and say how good lookin every one is, you sure do have a nice backhanded way of showing it. Somehow, I don't think that was the case. By the way, they look good, and they are super nice people. Go bash your own looks in the mirror. I'm done with you. Fair & Balanced, Fair & Balanced, Fair & Balanced, Fair & Balanced, Fair & Balanced, Fair & Balanced, Fair & Balanced, Fair & Balanced . . . I don't get it - do you have a point? Wait, let me see . . . nope I don't see your point. If memory serves, he anchored at KXLY, the ABC affiliate in Spokane. Rick Douglas and Elaine Murphy anchoring on KXLY. I'm having a Cosby/Reagan/High School flashback. Who is gonna post next...Laura Ashley?...Marianne Mishima? Congrats on your newest gig in Eugene! Post new comment |
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Enjoy cuddling and loving up that little guy. We have a Cavalier as well and he's our best friend and center of our family!